OT warfare

“Totally Destroyed” – Israel’s Conquest in the Book of Joshua

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We often say things that we don’t mean to be taken literally. For example, it’s common to hear these kinds of statements after athletic competitions: “They crushed that team,” “We got destroyed,” “We killed them.” When we make those comments in that context we are using hyperbole or exaggerated language. Some scholars believe that hyperbole … Read more

Wrestling with Herem Warfare in the Old Testament

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Updated November 2023 Divine violence in the Bible is a huge challenge. Here’s the problem in a nutshell. Christ—the perfect revelation of God—taught and practiced nonviolence, even to the point of allowing himself to be mocked, beaten, and killed. We don’t have a single example of Christ causing physical harm to another human being. And … Read more